Blood Stains
by teno-hikari
Summary: Slight AU - The sins of the past can never be washed away. No matter how hard you try to forget they exist. The blood you shed, the blood that runs in your veins, will always remind you. ( SasuNaru. ItaNaru - Yaoi )


**Blood Stains**

Written By: Teno Hikari

Disclaimer: It's pretty obvious that I don't own Naruto.

Summary: Slight AU - The sins of the past can never be washed away. No matter how hard you try to forget they exist. The blood you shed, the blood that runs in your veins, will always remind you. ( SasuNaru. ItaNaru - Yaoi )

* * *

Chapter One

"Where are you going?"

The pair of tanned hands paused in as their owner slowly turned in his head towards the bed behind him. A small smile formed, though hidden completely from top of dark black cloak he wear. The question was ignored for a moment as the hands went back to work holstering weapons to one of his legs.

Dark black eyes narrowed and turned red as the person they belonged to slowly sat up. Despite the pitch black darkness, the man's enhanced sight was able to see the younger one moving about the room with ease. Also, he noted his companion completely dressed and ready to head off somewhere. Somewhere without him.

"Konoha," came the soft reply.

A frown appeared on Uchiha Itachi's masculine features at the mention of Village of the Hidden Leaf, and that the one who also shared his bed was planning to go there. Alone. Without letting him know.

"I left a note," the gentle voice added, "But I suppose it's pretty useless now"  
"Naruto..."

Turning at the mention of his name, the blonde approached the bed. His ravenhaired partner reached out and absently brushed painted-black fingers nails across his whisker-scarred cheeks. The sign of affection that was never shown in public made the younger man smile widen a little.

"Don't be this way," the youth spoke quietly and took the pale hand in his own and kissed the palm, "I'll return within a week's time."

"Why are you going back?" Itachi wanted to know. With a strong grip, he pulled the unresisting boy to him. "There is nothing left for you there."

Naruto would have chuckled but decided to not evade the question, not while Itachi still had his Sharingan on. After all, they were eyes that could kill a person's soul with just a directed glance. "No," he agreed and shifted into a more comfortable position in the older man's lap, "But I made a promise I need to keep."

"To whom?"

"Are you jealous?" The smile on Naruto's face quickly spread to a wide fox-like grin. Raising an eyebrow, Itachi unknowingly increased his grip. Black nails biting into the boy's soft skin under the cloak.

"Should I be?"

The boy in his grip did laugh this time, leaning forward to give him a chaste kiss on the cheek to substitute for an answer. This quickly diffused Itachi's slight anger and his eyes reverted back to normal. Releasing his grip on him, he cupped the youthful face in his hands and gave his little lover a proper kiss on the lips.

Before it could lead to anything more - like it always did - , Naruto's hand clamped down on the older man's shoulder and gently pushed himself back. Gracefully he stood again and ran his fingers through messy blonde spikes. After managing to tame the locks down, he glanced back at his lover again.

"Any requests?"

Itachi shook his head and laid back down.

"I'll see you in a week then."

Closing the door behind him, Naruto sighed quietly. One week without the other's company. It might has well been a year. Shaking his head, he knew he couldn't afford to act like some love sick puppy. Itachi would certainly not approve. Letting emotions get in the way of an objective was fatal and would be severly punished by their organization... despite rank.

Naruto wouldn't though. Not after the years he had spent planning to go on his own personal mission in Konoha. He had made a promise to someone there, and planned on keeping it. An intense heat was now radiating from his stomach and Naruto understood as the image that flashed before his eyes:

A monstrous nine-tailed fox demon made of crimson chakra.

"Soon," the blonde boy promised. "Just continue to be patient."

* * *

Summer was ending in the village of the Hidden Leaf, and thankfully it hadn't lasted long. Sasuke, even though he never complained - about anything - was getting sick of the scorching heat. Along with the blistering sunburns he had received because of it. Thankfully they had healed before his next genin mission. All that was annoying him now was the brightness of the sun, which was why he had taken to sitting in the shade on a high tree branch.

"Kakashi-sensei is late again," his only teammate Sakura uttered while leaning against that same tree's trunk. He made some kind of "hmmph" in response but didn't care all that much. Ever since he and Sakura had passed the survival training exam almost a month ago, they had been assigned nothing but stupid low rank missions.

"Excuse me," a Jounin walked up to them and looked a little out of breath. "Have you seen Konohamaru-sama?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. How typical. Sakura blinked at the older ninja and shook her head, "Sorry Ebisu-sensei. Haven't seen him around all morning."

The instructor for the Sandaimei's grandson bowed his head in defeat. "I-I see. Well I'll continue looking for him. If you see Konohamaru-sama, please tell him to come find me."

As Sakura waved him off, Sasuke glanced sideways and frowned at the oversized apple hanging from a tree branch. Practically bending and nearly breaking the damn thing off with it's weight. The apple breathed a sigh of relief when Ebisu disappeared with a poof.

"Oi," Sasuke poked the mutant looking apple with a stick, "How long do you plan on hanging around?"

A low chuckle could be heard from the obviously fake piece of fruit. A loud explosion of smoke and a small boy flipped in mid air and landed rather ungracefully besides Sasuke's teammate. Sakura simply rolled heremerald eyes at the smaller boy in annoyance.

"Ha! I knew I couldn't fool you," Konohamaru pointed up at Sasuke, "My rival for the Hokage!"

Now it was time for the Genin, also titled "Konoha's Number One Rookie" to be annoyed. The kid was always spouting this kind of nonsense whenever he was around. At least the Sandaimei's grandson didn't try to attack him this time. Sasuke simply could not be held responsible for chucking the loudmouth kid into Mount Hokage.

"Konohmaru-kun you better go find Ebisu-sensei, he's probably really mad."

The boy shrugged lazily and reached up to cradle the back of his head in his hands. "Nah, if that suck-up couldn't see through my brilliant disguise, he doesn't deserve to train me. So let me hang out with you guys today."

Sakura caught the glance from her other teammate, and not-so-secret crush, before leaning down to smile apologetically at the boy. "Gomen ne, Konohamaru-kun, but you see Sasuke-kun and I have an important mission today."

It was a lie of course. There last "important" mission had been helping an old couple clean out the stock room for their store across the village. Or raking leaves. Getting stuck kittens out of tress. That kind of thing. They wouldn't be leaving Konoha and taking important missions until they found a third member for Team Seven.

"Aaw," Konohamru pouted before straightening. "All right, I'm going to go perfect my camoflauge skills. Later guys!"

The young academy student turned and smacked right into another person that happened to be passing by. He stumbled backwards upon impact and landed hard on his butt. From any bystander who could have been watching, it was entirely Konohamaru's fault, but being a spoiled brat he pointed accusingly at the figure he could not mow down.

"You! Watch where you're going!"

"Konohamaru-kun!" Sakura exclaimed in a scolding tone as she walked over to help him up. "It was your fault for not paying attention. Now apologize to..."

She trailed off to look at the other person who remained standing before them and felt her voice caught in her throat. Blonde hair. Peach skin. They were rather unique features that no one in the village had save for one special individual. Piercing azure eyes regarded them calmly, seeming to hold so much wisdom despite their youth. The boy they belonged to was devilishly handsome for his age - Sakura could only guess he was the same age as the rest of the genin - probably second to Sasuke in the entire village. The black cloak that covered much of his body only seemed to enhance his good looks.

"Are you all right?" the boy asked in a soothingly soft tone that made Sakura - and surprisingly even Konohamaru - blush. Numbly the fourth's grandson nodded and with an inaudible apology.

Crinkling his eyes in a smile, those warm blue eyes quickly pinpointed the boy sitting in the tree. Sasuke tensed a little at being spotted so easily. The stranger's stare did not last long as he turned his attention back to the two before him.

"Do you know where I can find the Yondaime Hokage?"

Sakura blinked. That's who the boy reminded her of. The hair and the eyes. That tone of voice. Were they possibly relatives?

"Probably Hokage's Tower over there... usually this early," she tried not to stutter, pointing in the direction he would need to go. She then noticed his lack of hitai-ate. "Um... are you visiting Konoha for the first time?"

The blonde shook his head in a quiet response before continuing on his way after the two blushing kids cleared the path. Sasuke jump down from the branch, landing neatly besides the others and stared at the strange visitor's retreating back. There was something about him that unnerved the prodigy, it was that brief by meaningful look the blonde had given him.

With his back to them he could feel the other observer's black eyes on him as well. "Uchiha Sasuke," he noted quietly to himself. "I think I'll make some time to play with him before heading back."

* * *

"You're late!"

Hatatake Kakashi reluctantly tear his eye away from newest edition to "Icha Icha Paradise" held closely in his hand. It had been a gift from Jiraiya, the fulltime author who was walking alongside him going on about how difficult his research was getting. Looking down he saw a pissed off looking Sakura fuming at him. Standing to her right was Sasuke who looked annoyed as usual.

From day one their silver-haired Jounin instructor couldn't be on time if his life depended on it. Sometimes it did when Sakura's violent alter-ego surfaced. But the masked man paid no attention to her outburst, dodged a sharp implement of death, before giving them their mission briefings.

"Ah, sorry Sakura," he said apologetically while rubbing the back of his head. "As for your mission today... well you don't have any. So run along home now!"

"WHAT!" Inner Sakura's righteous fury was charging forward and a terrified Konohamaru quickly ducked behind Sasuke. Simply because Sasuke was the perfect human shield whenever the pink haired girl snapped. "YOU MADE US WAIT FOR OVER AN HOUR TO TELL US THIS!"

"Whaaa! She's scary!"

The other genin simply nodded in agreement as he watched Kakashi turn happily back to his reading. Honestly. If there was one weakness their new sensei had it was his obsession for novels that he had to purchase at a 'special' bookstore. You know the ones where adults told kids not to go into. Fortunately, not even Sakura was stupid enough to try to take the book from.

Managing to get her anger under control, the kunoichi shot Kakashi a withering glance before turning to Jiraiya. He was one of the Three Legendary Sennin's after all maybe he could train... That thought immediately died the moment she caught him ogling a shapely attractive woman who happened to be passing by.

"All men are perverts," she muttered to herself. Quickly Sakura spun on her heal to Sasuke who looked ready to take off. "Except for Yondaime Hokage-sama and of course you, Sasuke-kun!"

"Hnnn..." Sasuke muttered to himself before turning to head on home, he started when his eyes locked on the Mount Hokage. The mountain behind the Leaf village had the faces of each Shinobi to ever hold the title of "Hokage". The young Uchiha was not alone as Konohamaru and Sakura eyed the Fourth in particular.

"Have to admit they really do look alike..."

"Who looks like who?" Kakashi asked, feigning curiosity as he turned a page with his thumb. At least they weren't mad at him anymore.

"Well there was this guy..."

"Who bumped into me!" Konohamaru added quickly but stepped back when the female genin shot him a warning.

"...And he looked just like the Yondaime, but younger. Oh, and he also had weird scratch marks on either side of his face."

It was the last sentence that caused both men to stop abruptly in their... perverted-ness. Kakashi closed his book quickly and tucked it away, while Jiraiya straightened and approached the kids. Instead of the familiar lecherous expression the tall sturdy normally wear, he now looked deadly serious.

"Sakura," he spoke quickly, "Those marks, did they look like this?"

The kunoichi nodded quickly when he drew a pattern of three short lines on his face, and began to feel as nervous as the two older ninjas did when they glanced at one another.

"It's him."

Before any of the younger ninjas in training could inquire who their sensei and the sennin were talking about, the both of them were already gone.

* * *

"Intruder!"

"Stop him!"

"Aghhh!"

Both the Sandaimei and Yondaime - the two Hokages of Konoha - looked up abruptly as the body of an Anbu soldier crashed through the door. Instantly they formed attack positions standing side by side as the smoke rolled in along with a short figure dressed in black. It didn't take long for either man to momentarily be off guard when those youthful eyes that had lost their innocence were fixated on them.

"Na... Naruto?"

The Yondaime, youngest of the two, was the first one to move. Stepping forward a little, his gaze locked onto the intruder's. A full grin developed twelve year old who continued to smile as if this were all perfectly natural to him. The boy nodded knowingly. Holding two kunai between his fingers, Naruto then threw them directly at Konoha's leaders.

"Tadaima."

* * *

End Chapter One

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Yes the first chapter ends with a cliffhanger, aren't I nice? This really started out as another drabble that was supposed to be no more than two paragraphs. Six pages later, I decided to try and post it. I don't suppose anyone would like to beta-read ... I'm really not that good going over my work and making corrections. Anyway, thanks for reading and please review and let me know what you think.


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